Andy Olmsted  —  Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq.  Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July.  —  Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny.

Judge Him by His Laws  —  People who complain that Barack Obama lacks experience must be unaware of his legislative achievements.  One reason these accomplishments are unfamiliar is that the media have not devoted enough attention to Obama's bills and the effort required to pass them …

Worthless chatter  —  I love when this happens.  It's a reminder that the political prattle that spews forth from group-think media stars without end and which consumes our political dialogue for a full year is based on absolutely nothing.  Also, most predictive “analysis” …

Admit it  —  Let's say last night really did indicate that Hillary's negatives will keep her off the ticket.  (Or keep her from winning if she's on it.)  You know what?  Deep in my psyche, in the place that kind of misses the toothache I've been prodding at with my tongue, I am having a tiny little pang of missing Hillary.

Giuliani stays positive despite weak campaign  —  BEDFORD, N.H. - He flatlined in Iowa and he's struggling in New Hampshire, but Rudy Giuliani shook off the early-state blues Thursday as only he can.  —  “None of this worries me - Sept. 11, there were times I was worried,” Giuliani said.

Economists React: ‘Looking for a Bunker to Hide in’  —  Economists and others weigh in on the weaker-than-expected gain in payrolls and the rise in the unemployment rate.  —  The sharp jump in the unemployment rate — from 4.7% to 5.0% — may be the most alarming feature of this report.

Bill Clinton: Hillary Can Be the ‘Comeback Kid’  —  ABC News' Kate Snow Reports: Bill Clinton says his wife can be a “comeback kid” just like he was.  —  “Absolutely,” President Clinton said in a brief interview with ABC News.  —  “Remember I lost here,” Clinton added, referring to New Hampshire.

Obama Makes a Clinton-Campaign Joke  —  Inside an old airplane hangar at what used to be Pease Airforce Base in Portsmouth, Barack Obama made his first New Hampshire appearance since his Iowa victory.  —  He recited his standard stump speech, but there was a confident, almost giddy …

Data Bomb  —  Three weeks before the 2006 midterm elections gave Democrats control of Congress, a shocking study reported on the number of Iraqis who had died in the ongoing war.  It bolstered criticism of President Bush and heightened the waves of dread — here and around the world — about the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Pride and Palpitations  —  Obama Iowa Victory photo via CBS News  —  (Special thanks to Hubris Sonic for his stellar blow-by-blow coverage last night)  —  Oh, let's see.  —  It was around eleven p.m. last night when we did “the TV switch” here at “Stately LM Manor".

Fundraiser Hsu headed to prison  —  Democratic rainmaker also faces fraud charges in New York  —  REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - A judge on Friday sentenced disgraced political donor Norman Hsu to three years in state prison after rejecting the one-time Democratic rainmaker's bid to throw out a 16-year-old fraud conviction.